Islamic Architecture
Examples from the Abbasid,
Umayyad, Ottoman and Mughal
Empires
Elements of Islamic Style
• Islamic architecture may be identified with the following design
elements, which were inherited from the first mosque built by
Muhammad in Medina, as well as features adapted from churches
and synagogues.
• Minarets or towers
• Mihrab or niche on an inside wall indicating the
direction of Mecca
• Domes
• Use of geometric shapes and repetitive art
(arabesque)
• Use of decorative Arabic calligraphy
• Ablution fountains
Common Interpretations of Islamic
Architecture
• The concept of Allah's infinite power is evoked by
designs with repeating themes.
• Human and animal forms are rarely depicted in
decorative art as Allah's work is matchless.
• Calligraphy is used to enhance the interior of a building
by providing quotations from the Qur'an.
• Islamic architecture focuses on the beauty of the interior
rather than exterior spaces.
• Use of impressive forms such as large domes, towering
minarets, and large courtyards are intended to convey
power.
Domes
•
•
•
Dome—a circular roof, usually hemispherical in form, placed over a circular, square,
oblong, or polygonal space.
Pendentives — Byzantine builders were the first to discover the proper handling of
the device essential to placing a dome over a square compartment during the
construction of the Hagia Sophia at Constantinople (A.D. 532–37).
Under Byzantine influence the Muslims adopted the use of the dome; one of their first
important monuments is the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. They often used the socalled Persian or onion dome. The most celebrated example is the Taj Mahal (A.D.
1630) at Agra, India.
Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th edition 2001-2005
Dome of the Rock
Al Kuds (Jerusalem)
• The earliest architectural
monument of Islam that
retains most of its original
form is the Dome of the
Rock in Jerusalem,
constructed in 691-92.
• It has mosaics depicting
scrolling vines and
flowers, jewels, and
crowns in greens, blues,
and gold.
Great Mosque of Damascus
Damascus, Syria
• The interior walls of Great
Mosque of Damascus have
stone mosaics that depict
crowns, fantastic plants,
realistic trees, and even empty
towns.
• This is thought to represent
Paradise for the faithful
Muslim.
• Both the Dome of the Rock in
Jerusalem and The Great
Mosque of Damascus used
the Syrian cut-stone technique
of building and popularized the
use of the dome.
The Great Mosque of Samarra
Samarra, Iraq
In 750 the Abbasid
Dynasty moved the
capital east to Baghdad,
and from 836 to 892 the
Abbasid rulers resided at
Samarra. The Great
Mosque of Samarra is
an important example of
the Iraqi hypostyle, noted
for its massive size and
spectacular minaret.
The Great Mosque of Cordoba
Location: Granada, Spain
• In the middle of the 8th
century the last of the
Umayyads escaped to
Spain and re-founded the
dynasty there. The Great
Mosque of Cordoba was
begun in 785 and is
famous for its rows of
double-tiered arches.
• The culture of Islamic
Spain reached its apex in
Moorish art and
architecture.
Sulayman Mosque Complex
Istanbul, Turkey
• In Turkey the mosque form was also derived from Persia, as was
most Turkish art.
• One of the most famous Turkish architects was Sinan, chief architect
in the Ottoman court from 1539 until his death in 1588. He
constructed or designed most of Sulayman I's buildings, the most
noted of which is his Sulayman Mosque (c.1557) in Istanbul.
Taj Mahal
Agra, India
• The Taj incorporates
and expands on many
design traditions,
particularly Persian,
Hindu and earlier
Mughal architecture.
• The Taj Mahal was
constructed between
1631 and 1654 by a
workforce of more
than twenty thousand.